List of those for whom Welfare Reform and cuts were too much to bear

[Johnny Canuck3]

Having read through part of this thread, I have a question: what does it take before these doctors will determine that a person suffers from a medical condition that disables them from working?

 

[ViolentPanda]

Having read through part of this thread, I have a question: what does it take before these doctors will determine that a person suffers from a medical condition that disables them from working?

They're not necessarily doctors, Johnny. ATOS employs what it calls "healthcare professionals", who may or may not be doctors, nurses, physiotherapists etc.
Also, they don't determine, they input data into a computer program and provide an opinion, which a Department of Work & Pensions adjudication officer will take into consideration. People with terminal or extremely severe health problems have been declared fit-for-work.

Of course, as has been mentioned on many threads on this set of issues, these "healthcare professionals" have their decisions "managed" by people who impose unofficial quotas intended to reduce government expenditure and maximise the profits of the private sector agency involved, so absolutely no conflict of interest there!

 

[Greebo]

Having read through part of this thread, I have a question: what does it take before these doctors will determine that a person suffers from a medical condition that disables them from working?

In the eyes of ATOS's not so finest health care professionals, possibly death, although I wouldn't bet on it. Death followed by decomposition would almost certainly prove you unfit for work.

 

[Minnie_the_Minx]

In the eyes of ATOS's not so finest health care professionals, possibly death, although I wouldn't bet on it. Death followed by decomposition would almost certainly prove you unfit for work.

You'd probably have to prove you were dead and decomposed though, preferably by sending your body to them, recorded delivery of course, just to make sure they did receive it

 

[Libertad]

You'd probably have to prove you were dead and decomposed though, preferably by sending your body to them, recorded delivery of course, just to make sure they did receive it

And then they'd lose you.

 

[BigTom]

In the eyes of ATOS's not so finest health care professionals, possibly death, although I wouldn't bet on it. Death followed by decomposition would almost certainly prove you unfit for work.

Don't be silly, if you're dead you won't make it to your appointment and will be declared fit for work as a result. (I bet this has already happened, like the clerical error with the person who was in a coma)

 

[ericjarvis]

So far as I can see the ONLY way of getting them to declare somebody unfit to work is to have a reliable witness at the assessment.

 

[Frumious B.]

That's not enough. You need a GP's letter, a specialist's letter for every condition/disability you suffer from, and a written care plan. You should be accompanied by a helper, and be too ill or disabled to talk much. The helper should do the talking and make it clear you would not have been able to attend without their assistance to get out of bed on time and on the right day, to wash, dress and travel there and back. That should get you declared unfit for work but in case it doesn't you should video the assessment covertly to assist with your appeal.

 

[Minnie_the_Minx]

So far as I can see the ONLY way of getting them to declare somebody unfit to work is to have a reliable witness at the assessment.

That's wishful thinking!

 

[ericjarvis]

That's wishful thinking!

OK. Have a reliable witness at the assessment and disabilities that would be obvious to a sheep with a nurse's hat. Which, by my reckoning, will generally give at least a 50% chance of having a reasonable assessment. As opposed to turning up alone, dressed tidily, and trying not to sound whiny and helpless, which appears to guarantee the assessor awards zero points regardless.

 

[Frumious B.]

You're forgetting the letters. They're vital.

The key point about the assessment is that you are only called for one if your ESA50 doesn't indicate that you're unfit for work. So the assessment begins with the assumption that you're fit for work. You then have to disprove that. But your opinion isn't credible - you're not medically trained and you will probably lie or exaggerate. So you have to get experts to speak for you. But they can't be there, so you have to get their opinions in writing.

 

[BigTom]

Benefit Changes Are Driving People To The Brink Of Suicide (Glasgow Evening Times)
http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/news/...laimants-to-brink-of-suicide-117226n.20375671

MORE than 43,000 people have inundated Glasgow's Citizen's Advice Bureau desperately looking for help over Government benefit changes.

Nearly half of all calls last year were from people desperate for help – many told staff and volunteers they were contemplating suicide.

 

[Minnie_the_Minx]

Just came across this.

You probably won’t have heard much about the case of Alice (name changed). She’s a 33-year-old woman who lives in the West Country with her parents. She’s very poorly: she suffers from severe bipolar disorder, and has been sectioned on numerous occasions after harming herself.

In February last year, she received a letter from the outsourcing company Atos, which told her that she was about to lose her disability living allowance and would have to undergo an assessment before could receive employment support. Shortly after this, Alice was found by her mother in the bathroom. She'd slashed her throat in the bath. She was taken to hospital for treatment, and survived.

Alice’s community psychiatric nurse and a forensic psychologist contacted Atos, and told the company not to contact her directly again. The company agreed. The morning after she’d been released from hospital, she returned to find another letter concerning an appointment. She slashed her throat again, and was readmitted to hospital.

Alice’s mother got in touch with Bufferzone, a local benefit advice charity. They managed to restore her benefits without the need for further tribunals. But the last issue of Private Eye - thus far the only publication to have covered this story - carried a staggering update:

Last week, Atos wrote to Alice again. Fortunately the letter arrived while her condition was stable and she suffered no ill effects. Tony Lea of Bufferzone was again forced to take up her case. Atos told him the letter was computer-generated - and could not be stopped. Brilliant.​

Perhaps, were it to concern another company, this ludicrous tale of cruel incompetence would be making more headlines. But the problem is, we’ve run out of ways of telling the story. Here’s a list of 30 similar tales where the outcome was worse: the victim died.

http://www.newstatesman.com/politics/2013/03/tragedy-alice

I get the feeling Sue Marsh may have already covered this, judging by the comments

 

[ddraig]

jesus

 

[Libertad]

I know Tony Lea, he lives down the road, he does some great work whilst being an ill-informed nationalist.
He is "Auntie" of AfterAtos and has his own battles to fight including appalling grammar and spelling. I've offered, as politely as I can, to proof his copy and he told me to fuck of(sic) having mistaken my genuine offer as mere criticism.

 

[Frankie Jack]

I know Tony Lea, he lives down the road, he does some great work whilst being an ill-informed nationalist.
He is "Auntie" of AfterAtos and has his own battles to fight including appalling grammar and spelling. I've offered, as politely as I can, to proof his copy and he told me to fuck of(sic) having mistaken my genuine offer as mere criticism.

erm.. no 'he' isn't. I Know Auntie very well and we natter a lot. 'She' does have many personal problems though.

 

[Libertad]

He posts valid criticisms of government benefit changes and then goes on to tie it in with immigration policy and tales of "our brave boys and girls in uniform".


eta: I may not agree with his worldview but Bufferzone's advocacy has brought results and helped a lot of people out. I hold no malice towards the man and wish him continued success.

 

[Libertad]

erm.. no 'he' isn't. I Know Auntie very well and we natter a lot. 'She' does have many personal problems though.

Fucksticks. Frankie Jack Apologies, the connection I'd made between Lea and AfterAtos was incorrect and sloppy. I withdraw that.

 

[treelover]

Sadly, its not just the unemployed and disabled who are going to be distraught and at the end of their tether, UC and the minimum income floor is soon to be live and millions will be devastated part lowincome/self employed who are just about keeping their heads above water...

btw, on Money Saving Expert forums's, there are absolute scum posting who are saying why should those working PT/SE on E Bay etc, have an 'easy ride' getting all sorts of benefits, etc. disgusting...

 

[ericjarvis]

Sadly, its not just the unemployed and disabled who are going to be distraught and at the end of their tether, UC and the minimum income floor is soon to be live and millions will be devastated part lowincome/self employed who are just about keeping their heads above water...

btw, on Money Saving Expert forums's, there are absolute scum posting who are saying why should those working PT/SE on E Bay etc, have an 'easy ride' getting all sorts of benefits, etc. disgusting...

Just to re-iterate from many other posts. The victims of government policy (and I include both blue and red Tory governments) also include people in moderately well paid jobs. The driving force behind these policies are an insurance company called UNUM. They specialise in unemployment insurance. They also fund the bulk of the "research" used to "justify" the policies, run large numbers of conferences and seminars through front organisations, and spend a fortune on lobbying. The people they are aiming to rip off aren't the poor who will suffer most, but the moderately well off who they will scam for insurance premiums as the welfare system slides towards catastrophe. They stand to make billions. They will get that money from people in work who already pay taxes and NI that should cover them in case of misfortune, but who they hope will be scared into spending more to ensure they actually get what they have already paid for.

 

[ViolentPanda]

Just to re-iterate from many other posts. The victims of government policy (and I include both blue and red Tory governments) also include people in moderately well paid jobs. The driving force behind these policies are an insurance company called UNUM. They specialise in unemployment insurance. They also fund the bulk of the "research" used to "justify" the policies, run large numbers of conferences and seminars through front organisations, and spend a fortune on lobbying. The people they are aiming to rip off aren't the poor who will suffer most, but the moderately well off who they will scam for insurance premiums as the welfare system slides towards catastrophe. They stand to make billions. They will get that money from people in work who already pay taxes and NI that should cover them in case of misfortune, but who they hope will be scared into spending more to ensure they actually get what they have already paid for.

Those wanting to read up on the work of this "insurance company" should also google Unum Provident (as they used to be known), and have fun following the myriad linkages between the company, our politicians and our bureaucrats.

Let me hear a "total fucking circle jerk", my people!!!

 

[Frankie Jack]

Fucksticks. Frankie Jack Apologies, the connection I'd made between Lea and AfterAtos was incorrect and sloppy. I withdraw that.

No probs Lib. She has a few monikers that she uses on the net. Some of them male.

 

[ericjarvis]

Those wanting to read up on the work of this "insurance company" should also google Unum Provident (as they used to be known), and have fun following the myriad linkages between the company, our politicians and our bureaucrats.

Let me hear a "total fucking circle jerk", my people!!!

It's also important to bear in mind when campaigning. This isn't an attack on the sick, disabled, and unemployed. It is an attack on everyone who isn't wealthy enough to simply give the finger to anything fate might throw their way. It will be the sick and disabled who die, but it is the middle class who are being robbed. Pretty much everyone has a vested interest in opposing government policy on benefits. The media won't cover this aspect of it because the owners of the mass media are in the circle too. So it's up to the rest of us to keep pointing out that healthy people in good jobs are victims of the policy too.

 

[Frances Lengel]

Those wanting to read up on the work of this "insurance company" should also google Unum Provident (as they used to be known), and have fun following the myriad linkages between the company, our politicians and our bureaucrats.

Let me hear a "total fucking circle jerk", my people!!!

Are Unum Provident anything to do with the Provident loan company? I hope they are coz I've had them over from near enough every address I've ever had. it'd be nice to think i was doing my bit for the class war.

 

[Minnie_the_Minx]

Sadly, its not just the unemployed and disabled who are going to be distraught and at the end of their tether, UC and the minimum income floor is soon to be live and millions will be devastated part lowincome/self employed who are just about keeping their heads above water...

btw, on Money Saving Expert forums's, there are absolute scum posting who are saying why should those working PT/SE on E Bay etc, have an 'easy ride' getting all sorts of benefits, etc. disgusting...

MSE forums are full of Daily Mail scum

I went on there once looking for advice, never ever posted again

 

[treelover]

"Claim welfare reforms drove writer Paul Reekie to suicide"

http://www.scotsman.com/edinburgh-e...drove-writer-paul-reekie-to-suicide-1-2269052


Scotsman on Paul Reekie, can't imagine The Times here doing similar.

 

[Greebo]

"Claim welfare reforms drove writer Paul Reekie to suicide"<snip>
Scotsman on Paul Reekie, can't imagine The Times here doing similar.

Old news, but no more acceptable for all that.

 

[treelover]

It's an update, 23rd March.

 

[butchersapron]

Sanika Ahmed

The hospital say that although Sanika is UK born she is dependent upon her parents and therefore is not entitled to free NHS treatment. Her parents have already applied for permission to stay in the UK.

Sanika's mother, Syeda Ahmed, told the BBC that consultants have told her Sanika only has a month in which to be treated before she is permanently paralysed in her arm.

"Sanika is slowly, slowly getting paralysed and it is very upsetting for all our family," she said.

 

[ViolentPanda]

Sanika Ahmed

Depressing as fuck.